School Counsellor (Yas American Academy) AY2025/26

Aldar Academies is currently seeking a School Counsellor at Yas American Academy on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi starting AY2025/26.

This is an exciting opportunity to join the highly successful Aldar family of schools and to help shape the future of Abu Dhabi’s leading school group.

Yas American Academy opened in September 2016 providing high quality education to the Emirate. The children are taught the Massachusetts Common Core Curriculum – tailored to be meaningful to children attending the school, alongside the local curriculum of Arabic, Islamic Studies and Social Studies. Facilities at the school are excellent and include a large astro-turf field, two swimming pools, well stocked library, a large multi-purpose sports hall, an auditorium and outdoor play areas.

We provide a warm, friendly and supportive environment where students enjoy learning and achieving in an atmosphere of mutual respect and trust.

The successful candidates will be closely aligned with our core values and ethos and possess a genuine understanding and appreciation of the values of the region.

The School Counsellors will assist students with personal, family, educational, mental health, or career problems. The counsellors will advocate for students and work with other individuals and organizations to promote the academic, career, personal, and social development of the student.

Guidance Counsellors will help students evaluate their abilities, interest, talents, and personalities to develop realistic academic and career goals. Counsellors use interviews, counselling sessions, interest and aptitude assessment tests.

Personal Mental Health Counsellors will provide psychological support and deliver therapeutic and supportive interventions to support students manage social and emotional challenges, both to individuals, in small target groups and utilising whole school initiatives to promote wellbeing.

Main Duties

• Help students enhance personal, social, and academic growth and wellbeing
• Monitor the progress of individual students
• Make contact with parents to discuss student behaviour or support needs
• Take steps to prevent bullying and support victims of bullying
• Help students develop job search skills, such as resume writing and interviewing techniques
• Help students understand and deal with social, behaviour, and personal problems
• Deliver therapeutic intervention based on the need of the individuals and provide referral to external services as needed
• Emphasize preventive and developmental counselling to provide students with life skills needed to deal with problems before they worsen and to enhance students’ personal, social, and academic growth.
• Provide special services such as conflict resolution classes; identify cases of domestic abuse and other family problems that can affect a student’s development

Specific Duties

• Works with individual students and groups of students in regards to appropriate social, emotional and development issues.
• Maintains an awareness of cultural influences regarding social development of adolescents and delivers culturally sensitive therapies.
• Monitors students who may be at risk in regards to social and emotional issues and makes appropriate referrals for interventions outside of school in consultation with parents.
• Promotes wellbeing of students via whole school and community awareness initiatives.
• Works closely with the pastoral team and safeguarding leads.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science/Education in Social Work
• Bachelor of Counselling
• Bachelor of Psychology – with subsequent post-graduate counselling qualifications

Minimum Experience

• Minimum of 2 years experience in school counselling or other counselling experience required

Job Specific Knowledge & Skills

• Appropriate license to carryout student counselling
• Strong interpersonal skills with both students and parents
• Demonstrable organizational skills
• Strong desire to help others and should be able to inspire respect, trust, and confidence
• Must possess high emotional and physical energy to handle the array of problems addressed
• Maintains the highest levels of confidentiality and professionalism
• Respect for all members of a school community, irrespective of position, gender, age and ethnic background
• A positive and solution-focused attitude to working life
• A clean enhanced Disclosure and Barring Services check or police check

This job description is not all-inclusive. Aldar Education reserves the right to amend this job description at any time. We are an equal opportunity employer, committed to a diverse and inclusive work environment. We are also mindful of our national development strategy and encourage UAE Nationals in their application at our company.

Aldar Education is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people and expects all staff to share this commitment. Offers of appointment are subject to satisfactory references and police clearance.